The
musical feast has been rocking for more than 20 years and shows no signs of slowing down soon. Next year’s offering runs from April 30 to May 11

It is not often you get to fist-bump one of the original Jackson 5 before they go on stage.

But that is exactly what happened to me on a trip to the ­impossibly sultry island of St Lucia in the eastern Caribbean.

Wandering through the island’s hugely popular Jazz Festival one evening, I was confronted by a man resplendent
in a jewel-encrusted red tunic with shiny gold lapels and, already sweating from the dripping humidity, I came face to face with Michael Jackson.

Or at least he looked very much like the late, great pop star.

It
was his older brother Jermaine, dressed up to resemble his late younger
sibling before going on stage to play with the surviving Jacksons – Tito, Jackie and Marlon – to thousands of ecstatic fans.

He
was confronted by one very excited, starstruck and sunburnt Englishman who could think of nothing better to squeak out than: “Good luck, Jermaine.”

I’d very much like to think my ­statesmanlike words of support and friendly fist bump got Jermaine and the rest of The Jacksons through that gig.

After
all, they have only played ­countless gigs, in front of millions of people, across the entire world, for their entire lives.

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Peace: There is always something to do in St Lucia

But
as bizarre as that encounter was, it summed up the very real sense of freedom and adventure St Lucia exudes and which makes it such a fun place to visit.

This swashbuckling feeling is ­physically embodied in the stunning Pitons, which dominate the island from almost every corner.

Two
forested volcanic spires that rise side by side 2,500ft and seem to explode from the ocean depths, they have come to symbolise the island.

Whether
your first glimpse is from the air or thrusting from the crystal-clear waters of the Caribbean on a cruise ship, this Unesco world heritage site, which once made a brief but beguiling ­appearance in the Pirates of the ­Caribbean trilogy, thrills the senses.

It comes as no surprise to learn the first European settler on the island was François le Clerc, a 16th-century French pirate with a wooden leg.

You
can almost hear Captain Jack Sparrow make a quip, a parrot squawk and an adventure begin as you soak up the atmosphere in the port town of Soufrière.

It was this energy and charm which most struck me on my visit to lovely St Lucia.

It
also surprised me when I realised how much the island has in recent years become synonymous with ­honeymooners, with most of the resorts making a very healthy living from romantic sunset wedding packages.

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Imposing: The Pitons, St Lucia

So
much so that one, the aptly named Smugglers Cove, recently had its wedding planner crowned world champion, no less.

Honeymoons mean big business for this fertile island and, with backdrops such as the Pitons,
I can think of few other places in the world as spectacularly romantic to say “I do”.

Just before I
landed, the Hollywood star Matt Damon had booked out the entire swanky Sugar Beach resort for his family while he renewed his wedding vows – under the Pitons, of course.

But
while the island can easily cater to the jet set, hard-working families
should not be put off as there are also many resorts that are falling over themselves to provide a Caribbean idyll at reasonable rates.

Two are the Coconut Bay beach resort in the south of the island and the ­aforementioned Smugglers Cove.

Coconut
Bay, a short ride from the airport, attempts to cater for everybody, offering an adults-only wing, a child-friendly wing and, of course, the ubiquitous wedding chapel and spa.

But
somehow it all works and the 250-room resort, hugging long stretches of
pristine white sands, seems to take the needs of its varied ­residents in its stride.

The Kidz Klub
is particularly impressive, featuring St Lucia’s largest water park, full-time nannies and seemingly endless timetables of activities to keep
your young children entertained while you top up your tan.

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Soufriere Bay: Not a jazz band in sight

Smugglers Cove, near the bustling capital of Castries, offers a different vibe.

Set
on a secluded stretch of private beach, the hotel has a village feel with rooms scattered around the lush tropical gardens and beach front.

This
all-inclusive resort has a luxury feel and offers guests a wide variety
of sporting facilities, ­activities, kids’ clubs and a choice of four restaurants.

Of course, there’s much more to St Lucia than holiday resorts and one of the main reasons I was there was to take in the annual Jazz Festival.

Staged
over a week and set against the backdrop of the Pigeon Island national park, the event attracts hundreds of famous artists from across the world.

But don’t let the name fool you – jazz is there if you want it but the headliners on my visit, The Jacksons, Akon and R Kelly, were about as far from jazz as St
Lucia is from freezing.

This
musical feast, which has been rocking for more than 20 years, shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. Next year’s offering runs from April 30 to May 11.

Indeed, slowing down is not necessarily the only option on the island.

Rather than laze on the beach, I took the time to explore and discovered a host of the exciting activities that are on offer.

Chief
among these was the exhilarating Treetop Adventure Park, where I zip-lined through the dense rainforest canopy and then swapped heights for depths with some superb snorkelling.

I also thoroughly enjoyed a Segway tour around Pigeon Island.

And, of course, I helped The ­Jacksons to, ahem, Piton a stunning set.

Get there

British Airways Holiday has seven nights all inclusive during the St Lucia Jazz Festival at Coconut Bay (cbayresort.com) from £1,100 per person and from £1,052 per person at Sumugglers Cove (smugglersresort.co.uk).